Lancaster and Morecambe join London austerity rally

Gemma Sherlock

A member of a Lancaster anti-cuts pressure group has said the London austerity rally was “angry and defiant” with a huge turnout from the district.

Hundreds of members from the group Lancaster and Morecambe Against the Cuts gathered to join the march at the Bank of England in the capital.

It was angry and defiant but happy at the same time

Eugene Doherty

Organisers, People’s Assembly Against Austerity, claimed up to 250,000 shared their voices on the government and austerity.

Eugene Doherty, head of Lancaster and Morecambe TUC, said: “It was angry and defiant but happy at the same time, there were bands playing.

“We took nearly about 350 people, I think part of our democracy is protest.”

A rally was also held in Market Square in Lancaster to support the national demonstration.

Lancaster and Fleetwood MP Cat Smith has said she would have joined in the demonstration if she did not have other commitments.

Ms Smith said: “I think it’s the biggest group from here that has gone down to a demo for a number of years.

“Protesting is a powerful thing and I think the government can change their mind, if you look at the poll tax, people protested and it didn’t happen.”

Lancaster and Morecambe Against The Cuts has been in existence for five years, with many members part of the Occupy Lancaster movement.

Morecambe and Lunesdale MP David Morris commented on the rally: “We are in a state of austerity because the last government left us in a mess. Nobody wants to make people’s lives a misery, we want to make peoples lives better and the only way we can do that is to get people back to work.”